Posts Tagged ‘government train’

Photoreportage by Robert Dylewski

Bierut’s private carriage in Warszawa Główna

The mystery of the Government train’s visit to Warsaw is solved. Yesterday was the Long Night of the Museums, Noc Muzeow. The Warsaw Suburban Railway, WKD, in association with their enthusiasts society, Klub Milosnikow EKD/WKD, needed somewhere to hold a big party. So as the day drew to a close the Government train was moved from its temporary sojourn at the Railway Museum site at Warszawa Glowna to the WKD terminal station Warszawa Srodmiescie. The Warsaw trams, whose 100th anniversary of electric traction was on 5 April also joined in the celebrations.

EN80 type WKD vintage motor carriage from 1927

Vintage trams in Warsaw

So, just out of curiousity, how did the Warsaw Railway Museum celebrate the Long Night of Museums? Answers, as always to our usual address.

The Mystery Train at the Warsaw Railway Museum
(Robert Dylewski) Click on photo for close up.

The Polish government train came to the Warsaw today. You didn’t know that the Polish government had their own train? Well, not to worry, the government probably doesn’t know either. The last time it was used as intended was before General Jaruzelski declared martial law in 1981. During the martial law era, the government was too afraid of its own people to risk going around by train and since then the habit of using fast cars and planes has stuck. So the train has languished unloved and forgotten. One carriage has gone to PSMK’s railway museum in Skierniewice, another is in Chabowka, another has been ‘adopted’ by a retired railwayman. Occasionally, the odd coach or two is dusted down and used for some private special excursion.

So what was the train doing in Warsaw? Was the Polish Minister of Transport entertaining his German opposite number prior to the sale of the profitable bits of the PKP empire to Deutsche Bahn? Are Mr and Mrs Peter Philips planning a quiet railway honeymoon in Poland? Is the President entertaining his mother in law?

It hurts us to admit it, but we don’t know! There a bottle of Zubrowka for anyone who manages to find out and tell us before midnight (Polish time) today.

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